In offshore drilling operations, certain structures may be situated proximate a wellhead at a sea floor surface. For example, a blowout preventer (BOP) or connector may be installed on a wellhead at the sea floor. In the event that the well is not adequately sealed, a blowout may occur. The blowout may damage subsea equipment and/or connections between subsea equipment. This can be especially problematic if it results in the discharge of hydrocarbons into the surrounding sea water. In the event such a subsea blowout results in the discharge of hydrocarbons into the surrounding sea, the amount of time it takes to cap and/or shut-in the well is important (i.e., the more time it takes, the more hydrocarbons are discharged into the surrounding water).
The industry has been moving to obtain capabilities to respond to uncontrolled subsea wells. Capping devices are being built as an effective device to cap and contain the well. They are typically deployed from the surface of the water over the incident wells in water depths up to several thousand feet. However, as the water depth gets shallower (e.g., hundreds of feet or less), responding to an uncontrolled well poses unique challenges. For example, the hydrocarbons at the surface will be thicker and more concentrated, as there is less water depth (i.e., space) for dilution to occur. Additionally, a plume will cause the hydrocarbons to spread over a wider area at the water surface and the plume will not disperse away from the incident well location. Further, a blowout may cause a fire to remain in the area where the well is. Each of these factors contributes to the difficulty of capping the well using standard installation techniques from the surface, as is typically done in deeper water events.